


Twelve Days of SaiOuma

by orphan_account



Category: New Dangan Ronpa V3: Everyone's New Semester of Killing
Genre: 12 Days of Christmas, Drabble Collection, F/M, Gift Fic, M/M, aside from Ouma & Saihara all the other characters and ships are background
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-30
Updated: 2017-12-30
Packaged: 2019-02-24 02:38:48
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 12
Words: 3,547
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13204011
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: a collection of unrelated drabbles across various verses, loosely inspired by the song “12 Days of Christmas." Gift fic for RainiestOfDays as part of @dr-positive's Danganronpa Secret Santa exchange.





	1. A Partridge in a Pear Tree

**Author's Note:**

  * For [coffeeblood](https://archiveofourown.org/users/coffeeblood/gifts).



 … _A partridge is an Old World bird from the order Galliformes. Its genus is Perdix, which is Greek for partridge. (Side note on the Greek myth: Perdix was the nephew of the famous Greek inventor Daedalus, who grew jealous of Perdix and threw him into the Acropolis of Athens. The goddess Athena changed him into a partridge as he fell. The partridge does not fly and builds its nest close to the ground because **it remembers its great fall** into the Acropolis.)…_

Shuichi wasn’t sure if becoming a detective had sharpened his perception, or if he had become a detective because he was a naturally observant person. Either way, it was one of the few things that he supposed he could pride himself on, most of the time. 

But no one made him question his confidence in that ability like one Kokichi Ouma.

“Ouma-kun, I was wondering,” he began, and immediately felt like he’d made a terrible mistake.

But Ouma wasn’t about to let him escape now. “Wondering about what? My favorite color? My ideal date? How far I can spit? Don’t just leave me hanging, Saihara-chan!”

“Ah, well…” Shuichi tugged on his hat. “Alright, I was wondering… you’ve never eaten the meals anyone else prepares, have you? But I don’t think you can cook, either? You’re always eating junk food, or something easy to prepare, like cereal or instant ramen…”

Ouma hid a snicker behind his hand. “Woooow, Saihara-chan, you’ve been watching me closely, haven’t you?” he teased. “Well, I don’t blame you. I wouldn’t be able to take my eyes off me, either~!”

Shuichi was finally starting to get used to Ouma’s conversational tactics. That right there was a dodged question. His suspicions were confirmed: Ouma was too wary and suspicious to eat food someone else had made. Solving that mystery just unearthed an even more concerning one: why was Ouma so extra careful about potentially being poisoned?

Had someone tried to poison him before…? If so, when? Why? The hypothetical scenario itched at Shuichi’s biological urge to investigate.

Directly confronting Ouma would never work. Shuichi tentatively offered, “I’m going to make some curry rice for lunch. Do you want to help?”

If Ouma was ‘helping,’ he could watch Shuichi and make sure nothing nefarious was slipped in, and he’d also be able to eat a decent meal for a change.

Ouma gave him the even look that meant he was inwardly surprised and contemplative, then grinned. “You must be a disaster in the kitchen if you’re asking the supreme leader of evil to help you cook! Sure, Saihara-chan, let’s go make some curry rice!”

He linked arms with Shuichi, and leaned in to stage whisper, “It’s still curry rice if there’s Panta in it, right?”

Shuichi started to sweat as he was forcibly dragged to the kitchen. Maybe this was a mistake.

Even so… he didn’t regret it.


	2. Two Turtle Doves

_…Perhaps because of Biblical references (especially the well-known verse from the Song of Songs), its mournful voice, and the fact that it forms **strong pair bonds** , European turtle doves have become emblems of devoted love…_

“Is there any pair that reeks more of destiny,” declared the masked marauder DICE, with great theatricality, “than that of a phantom thief and his detective?”

Shuichi gave the ropes a rough tug to make sure they were secure, and which,  _coincidentally_ , elicited a grunt of discomfort from his captive. He was glad he’d asked one of the testifying experts, Shinguuji, how to tie a good knot.

“Really, Saihara-chan, that’s so forward of you,” DICE tittered. Shuichi could grudgingly admit that he admired the way the criminal was managing to keep calm and flippant, even in this disadvantageous situation.

“Alright,” Shuichi said, straightening and brushing off his hands. “Time to finally see your face, DICE.”

The thief sighed. “If you must.”

Hands shaking with anticipation, Shuichi reached forward to remove the die-eyed clown mask, to reveal…

… _another_ mask. Of  _Shuichi’s_  face.

“You’re so cute when you’re caught off-guard,” DICE cooed, booping Shuichi’s nose with suddenly-free hands.

Then, the power cut out.

“See you same time next week, darling detective!” the phantom thief sing-songed as he made his escape.


	3. Three French Hens

_…Hens are believed to symbolize **motherly devotion** …_

“May I have a word with you, Ouma-kun?”

Kokichi paused his efforts on a masterful piece of graffiti, and turned to blink at Tojo.

“Sure thing, Tojo-chan! What’s up?” he asked, putting the spray paint down so he could fold his arms behind his head.

Tojo clasped her hands neatly. “I have put a great deal of thought into your request that I become your ‘mom,’ and I have come to the conclusion that a good mother should encourage her offspring to seek happiness.”

Wow, she really was the SHSL Maid, if she was taking that joking request of his seriously. Kokichi was intrigued.

“Well, I do like being happy – ” Kokichi began brightly, but Tojo cut him off.

“Romantic happiness,” she clarified, and then asked in true matronly tones, “When are you giving me grandchildren, Ouma-kun?”

Kokichi began to sweat, and took off running. The nearest classmate was probably – “Saihara-chan, saaaaaaave meeeeeeee!”

“Saihara-kun would be an excellent choice of co-parent and bring you a great deal of marital bliss!” Tojo called after him as she gave chase – and of course, Saihara overheard her. He stared at them with saucer-sized eyes as they ran past him.

This was the most mortifying game of tag Kokichi had ever played. He was never going to jokingly ask anyone to be his mom ever again.


	4. Four Calling (Colly) Birds

_…Colly means black…Therefore, a dark, black bird looked like black coal and was called a “coalie” or “Colly Bird.”  So, the song is really saying **four crows** …   
_

_…One crow sorrow,_

_Two crows mirth,_

_three, a wedding,_

_**four, a birth** …_

Shuichi sat next to Kaito, letting his best friend keep a sweaty death grip on his hand. Both their heads whipped around when Maki’s nurse approached them.

“We’re ready to induce labor,” she said. “You can come in now, Momota-san.”

“Good luck,” Shuichi murmured, and Kaito shot him a shaky grin before following the nurse out of the waiting room.

The moment Kaito was gone, Ouma strolled in with coffee. Only two cups, Shuichi noted wryly.

“You’re late,” Shuichi observed as he accepted Ouma’s peace offering of caffeine.

“A supreme leader is never late,” Ouma retorted, claiming Kaito’s empty seat. His knee bumped gently against Shuichi’s. “Nor is he early. He arrives precisely when he means to.”

Shuichi’s lips twitched into a smile. Ouma always knew how to cut the tension.

He leaned his head against his boyfriend’s shoulder, and twined the fingers of their free hands together.

All they could do now was wait.


	5. Five Golden Rings

_…When we say somebody or something is in the same class as gold, we mean it is **the most perfect it could be** …_

Kokichi had never tried to define “perfection” before; why should he, when he didn’t even believe it existed?

There wasn’t one momentous epiphany that changed his perception. It was eroded slowly, over time, by little things that didn’t matter very much.

First, by catering to Kokichi’s ego. Chuckling at a tasteless joke he’d made. Complimenting his fashion sense. Inviting him to study for exams with the others. Remembering his birthday. Taking his pranks in the good-natured spirit they were intended. Seeking him out to spend time with him.

Later, by simply being. The abashed way he would tug his hat. Lovely, long lashes that brushed his cheeks like angel down. Eyes as gray as the stormy seas. The soft cadence of his voice. His smile, pure and rich as gold.

Finally, Kokichi had his definition of perfection. It wasn’t something you could strive for, or obtain, or create.

Perfection was what you saw when you looked at the one you loved.


	6. Six Geese A-Laying

_…Geese annually migrate to warmer climates during the winter. Should a goose become injured during this trek, another goose will leave the migrating flock to **stay with its fallen comrade** …_

Shuichi hesitated as he watched Ouma stumble away. The bell had just rung to summon them to their third class trial, but…

He jogged to catch up to the Supreme Leader.

“Wait,” Shuichi said. “I’ll help you get cleaned up, Ouma-kun.”

Ouma blinked at him, swiping a hand over his forehead to clear some of the blood away. “Okay,” he agreed, strangely docile for a change. His usual smile was in place, but Shuichi couldn’t shake the feeling that he was in pain.

Shuichi helped Ouma down the stairs, letting the shorter boy lean on his shoulder. They stopped at the first floor boys’ bathroom while the others continued on towards the trial grounds.

He turned the sink on, wet a towl, and gently mopped the blood from Ouma’s face. The injury didn’t look bad once the blood was cleared away, but…

“That was bleeding a lot,” Shuichi said. It concerned him that Ouma was being so passive and docile right now, too. “Are you sure you’re alright, Ouma-kun?”

Ouma flapped a hand dismissively. “The down side of having skin this smooth and clear is that I’m also very delicate,” he replied, batting his eyes playfully. “I bleed easy, I bruise easy. Why, my skin once split open when someone poked me in the ribs – ”

_There_  was the liar’s business as usual. Shuichi huffed, relieved.

“Come on,” Shuichi said, lips twitching with amusement. “We shouldn’t be late.”

“Lead the way, Saihara-chan~!”


	7. Seven Swans A-Swimming

  _…Old Celtic and British myths believe that **lost loved ones turn into swans** , with gold or silver chains on their necks to symbolize their enchantment…_

It was hard to get any peace and quiet time to himself.

In the aftermath of Danganronpa, Shuichi – and Yumeno, and Harukawa – were bombarded with e-mails, dragged to countless therapy sessions, forced to sit through arduous court sessions to testify against Team Danganronpa as the rest of the world simpered over them.

It was exhausting. It was humiliating. It was infuriating.

They only had each other to turn to for a port in the unforgiving storm.

Yumeno was the one who found the lake. In the middle of the park behind their therapist’s office building, off the beaten path, the lake was serene, shining, and put them all at ease. They developed the habit of going there together after a session, and feeding the swans.

“I’ve never seen a flock this big,” Yumeno said, idly tossing bread to two swans with green and yellow banding around their necks, respectively. “I thought swans didn’t get along very well, but…”

“They do fight a lot,” Harukawa observed, nodding her head at one of the purple-banded swans, chasing around another purple, a blue, and a green. “This is probably some kind of nature preserve, so they have to share the territory. That’s why they all have those color-coded bands around their necks.”

“I guess…” Shuichi agreed dully. That didn’t quite sound right to him, but, well, he didn’t really care. It was hard to care about much of anything, these days.

When he relayed that to his therapist, concluding with, “Even watching the swans doesn’t really cheer me up,” she smiled patiently at him.

“Swans? Where do you see them, at this time of year?”

Shuichi shrugged. “Just at the lake, with Yumeno-san and Harukawa-san.”

“Which lake?” she asked, trying to make small talk. To keep him engaged.

Shuichi gestured in the general direction vaguely. “The one in the park behind your office.”

His therapist paused, and gave him an odd look.

“There’s no lake in that park.”


	8. Eight Maids A-Milking

_… In the 18th century, when a maiden was asked to “go a-milking” it had one of two meanings. **Either it was a proposal of marriage; or, it was a rather risquè invitation for intimacy** …_

Kokichi prided himself on his flair for the dramatic.

He’d put a lot of work into preparing for this. He put on his full supreme leader raiment, hat and cape on top of his DICE uniform. He checked his pocket, to make sure he had the small jewelry box.

Then, it was all about timing.

Saihara was out at a nice restaurant with Momota, Harukawa, Akamatsu, and Amami. Kokichi had been invited, too, but as always, he was fashionably late. He sauntered into the restaurant after the others had been seated and ordered drinks, and dramatically swept down onto one knee next to Saihara’s chair.

Saihara’s eyes widened, his cheeks flushing red as Kokichi took out the jewelry box.

(Akamatsu’s gasp of excitement was the icing on the cake, and Momota’s outraged glare – he’d intended to propose to Harukawa tonight – was the cherry on top.)

Kokichi didn’t say anything. Only grinned, and opened the box – to reveal an enamel pin in the shape of Kokichi’s underwear.

Saihara gaped at him, incredulous at the sheer audacity on display.

Kokichi just waggled his eyebrows.


	9. Nine Ladies Dancing

_…In some cases, the dances were done in a circle around a fire. The fire represented **the sun’s light, warmth and purifying qualities** …_

Everyone in the Gopher Project had their own way of dealing with the homesickness, loneliness, and despairing levels of depression brought on by being the last fifteen ( _sixteen_ , Kiibo insisted) members of humanity left alive.

Kokichi, being Kokichi, liked to lie to himself.

First, he lay down on the grass. The fake grass in the Ark; the Exisals were still exploring the new world to make sure there weren’t any hidden dangers.

Next, he tipped his head back towards the sky. The fake sky displayed by the Ark, to mimic Earth’s, since the sky here was made unconvincing by its four moons.

Finally, he closed his eyes, and told himself that the warmth on his face was Earth’s sun, not the artificial lighting provided by a spaceship.

When his eyes were closed, Kokichi could pretend his friends in DICE were sprawled on the grass all around him, as they’d sometimes done in rare moments of peace. There were no meteorites, no virus, no end of the world.

Kokichi told the others he liked to nap where it was sunny and warm, so when his eyes were closed, they would think he was asleep and not disturb him. Most of the time.

Footfalls in the grass alerted him to someone’s approach. By the weight of each step, and the caution indicated by their pace, Kokichi guessed it was Saihara.

Stubbornly, Kokichi pretended to sleep. He didn’t feel like talking right now. Lying to other people was fun, but he just couldn’t get by without these quiet moments to lie to himself.

Saihara sat down near Kokichi’s head, softly, careful not to disturb him.

Perplexed, Kokichi waited for Saihara to speak, or try to wake him.

He never did. Just sat beside him, a touchstone of solidarity.

Eventually, Kokichi dozed off for real.


	10. Ten Lords A-Leaping

_…Leaping dances were strictly for the men.  These dances were for the purpose of fertility as well as for war.  These **physically exerting dances**  were meant to rile up the men for battle tocreate some kind of mental exhilaration…_

Though Kokichi skipped a lot of class, he always made sure to attend the school functions that were actually, y’know, fun.

He wasn’t a fan of the Christmas holiday in general – it was a load commercialistic Christian feel-good bullshit – but Hope’s Peak annual Christmas party? Yeah, he could get behind that.

After spiking the eggnog – with non-alcoholic beer, to add more layers to the classic prank – Kokichi swept his eyes along the wall, searching for his favorite wallflower.

Ah, there he was!

Kokichi trotted over to Saihara.

“I’m ready for our dance, Saihara-chan,” he announced, beaming.

Saihara blinked at him. “Our…? W-woah!” he squeaked with surprise as Kokichi grabbed his wrist and tugged him onto the dance floor.

Twining the fingers of one hand with Saihara’s, Kokichi rested his other hand on the detective’s hip, and gleefully swung them around the room to a jazzed-up version of  _Walking in a Winter Wonderland_. He watched with delight as Saihara’s expression went from wide-eyed confusion, to tentatively enjoying himself, and finally to flushed from laughter and exertion.

Even though he’d never rank a spot on any form of ‘nice’ list, Kokichi had definitely gotten the best present this year.


	11. Eleven Pipers Piping

_…The Pied Piper of Hamelin is the titular character of a legend [that] dates back to the Middle Ages, the earliest references describing a piper, dressed in multicolored (“pied”) clothing, who was a rat-catcher hired by the town to lure rats away with his magic pipe. **When the citizens refuse to pay for this service, he retaliates by using his instrument’s magical power on their children, leading them away as he had the rats** …_

“You’re welcome,” Kokichi announced airily over breakfast at the dormitory one morning.

The rest of the class stared at him.

“For what, you noxious little turd?” Iruma sneered. “You ain’t done shit! Unlike  _my_  golden brain – ”

“I accept payment in the form of Panta, snacks, or e-mail account info,” Kokichi went on as if she hadn’t spoken. He held out his hand, palm-up and expectant.

“For what, Ouma-kun?” Saihara asked, perplexed. Kokichi beamed at him.

“For using my talent to make your lives easier, of course!”

Momota snorted, and Harukawa rolled her eyes. Most of the others looked either amused or exasperated.

“How so?” Kiibo demanded. “I have only observed instances of you making our lives more difficult, Ouma-kun.”

Kokichi put on a disheartened air. “So then… you guys aren’t going to pay me?”

“No.” “No way.” “Definitely not.” “Stop fucking around, Ouma!”

Kokichi let out a long-suffering sigh, and took out his phone. He pressed a button on speed dial, and as it rang, he stood, and walked away from the table. He made sure he was still in earshot as he said, “It’s me. I’m going to have to cancel all your missions today, and also maybe have you put to death because now you’re useless to me.”

He didn’t need to glance over his shoulder to know Saihara was the only one who looked worried.

Over the next week or so, inconveniences that his classmates had never realized they were being protected from began to pile up.

The office complex next to the dormitory put its parking lot through heavy construction, the machines making an inescapable din. The trash bins in all the classrooms they visited weren’t emptied as often, and would frequently stink or overflow. The students would have to walk past unpleasant roadkill on the way to or from school, that took a day or more to be cleaned up. On and on and on.

“I don’t know if you were really using your talent to make things easier for us before, or if you’re deliberately making things harder for us now,” Saihara said tiredly as he delivered a crate of Panta to Kokichi’s dorm a week later. “But please stop, Ouma-kun.”

Kokichi grabbed a can out of the crate, shook it vigorously, and then opened it to spray soda in an unamused Saihara’s face.

“Cheers,” he said with an impish smile, and chugged.


	12. Twelve Drummers Drumming

  _…The beat of a drum became associated with warfare.  And, a symbol of **marching into battle** …_

Shuichi’s eyes drank in the tools being offered to them. The cartoonish-looking hammers that represented the power to resist, to fight back, to free themselves. Presented to them by the person who had claimed to love watching them suffer.

An epiphany dawned on him.

Ouma had always been a liar, hadn’t he? Not just in his words, either. In his actions, in the very persona he presented to them.

Wasn’t it…  _too_  obvious, that he was the bad guy?

“Wait,” Shuichi said, grabbing Ouma’s wrist before he could leave the gym. “You should come with us.”

“What are you saying, Shuichi?” Momota asked, confusion writ clear in his voice.

“We can’t trust that guy,” Harukawa added, cold and full of murderous intent.

Shuichi didn’t look at them. Instead, he met Ouma’s eyes. Looked at him full on, and said, “Yes, we can.”

For a fraction of a second, shock flashed across Ouma’s face. There and gone in an instant. The sort of reaction Shuichi had always missed from the supreme leader, because he wasn’t trying to see beyond the façade Ouma always deceived them with.

Ouma gave him a devious smirk, cruelty shining in hooded eyes. “Are you sure about that, Saihara-chan?”

Shuichi was confident in his deduction. He didn’t waver. “I am, Ouma-kun.”

For a long, tense minute, Ouma scrutinized him. His gaze devoured Shuichi from head to toe. Shuichi could almost see the rapid calculations Ouma was processing, the plans being drawn up and compared side-by-side. Whether or not to stay the course on the safer path of distrust, or to take a gamble and believe in them all.

Shuichi simply waited. He’d decided to trust Ouma. To believe in him. Not in the supreme leader of an evil organization that he pretended to be, but in Kokichi Ouma, as a person.

At last, Ouma closed his eyes, and when he opened them again, his whole aura seemed to have shifted. That sense of malice wasn’t there anymore.

“In that case,” Ouma said, grinning, “do you guys wanna try using the electrohammers on that hidden door’s card reader?”

Shuichi grinned back.

They’d triumph over the mastermind, together.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Merry Christmas & Happy New Year!
> 
> Thanks for reading! Kudos and comments greatly appreciated.
> 
> Please consider checking out my ko-fi! I take drabble commissions! https://ko-fi.com/cheshwrites


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